Waxing Techniques.....

[Cod1628]

Okay so im sure everyone here has or knows how to wax there car....but some people do it wrong and i think i might be one of those people, when ever i wax my car it looks clean and shiny, but when the sun hits it you can see the swirl marks from me wiping down the car with a towel, now i use mirco fiber towels which are very soft and recomened so i dont know what im doin wrong here. I use the applicator pad that comes with it. The wax that im using is meguiars tech wax, its in a liquid form and i get the applicator damp put the wax on it, then wax the car in a circular motion, i usually wait about 1 min. before wiping it clean with two separate cloths. I also think i do big portions when i wax, for exp. when i do my hood i usually split it in to quarters, is this to big?

Now my big question is, WHAT AM I DOING WRONG HERE!!!

[michaelodonnell]

dont use circular motions - use straight lines up and down following the shape of the piece you are waxing.

[Red07SSNA]

Bad news for ya...the swirl marks are not always the wax. It can also be from the sand/small debris in your wash water/wash towel too -- fine scratches in your paint. One of the tricks we used to do on show cars was to use "Finesse-It II" or "liquid Ebony". These need to be applied with a foam pad on an electric buffer and they tend to throw little globules on your windows, chrome, and lamp covers that you have to remove. Then we would apply wax to make the "Finesse It II" or "liquid Ebony" last longer. That was how we got the paint to look like glass.

[IMADreamer]

Those swirl marks are more likely from you washing the car then waxing although if there are contaminants in the wax pad you may be doing it while waxing as well. You need to make sure every thing that touches your car is clean. If it's been dropped on the floor or ground since it's last cleaning it's not clean.

To get rid of the swirls you are going to have to buff it out with an orbital polisher. Check out Autopia from tips on that.

Also never use liquid wax, it's crap. Get a good paste wax like Zymol, Meqs Gold Class, or Zaino Brothers. A good quality wax will protect better the next time you wash. Also be sure to clay bar your car atleast every couple months to help remove the contaminants from the paint, which will also help prevent swirling when you wash and wax.

If you do it right you should be able to see things like bridges and sunsets in your reflection without any swirls or spots.

[Cod1628]

okay thx ill look in to getting some new wax...and iv wanted to clay bar my car for a while now but it seems like it would take a while and its a lil to cold out right now....

[BlackBaltSS]

Damn, i guess i have to be stupid here. What is clay barring?

[cncd11]

i think i know what you are talking about with the swirrl marks, what i use ZYMOL wax on my car it is a cleaner wax and leaves swirrl marks that no matter how much you rub on the paint they are really hard to get off. what i usually do and what the zymol recommends is once all the white chalky wax is removed get a spray bottle and spray a fine mist of water on paint then wipe off with another clean rag. This process works really well for me. hope it helps.

cncd11 added 3 Minutes and 57 Seconds later...

claying a car is taking a clay bar and rubbing it over the entire paint surface, this removes any dirt, old wax, and any other impurities that cant be removed from normal washing. this is usually the first step in a good wax job.

[IMADreamer]

Originally Posted by BlackBaltSS

Damn, i guess i have to be stupid here. What is clay barring?

I suggest getting the Mothers Clay system because it comes with clay, lube, and wax cleaner. It's a little more beginner friendly then jumping into just a clay and lube set up like Zymol because they really made the lube noob friendly so it practically never wears down while you are doing it.

You just simply spray the lube over a small area then run the clay bar over it. You don't even apply pressure just simply running it over the surface will do. You will actually feel it picking up contaminants. Afterwards your car will be silky smooth. Then of course you wash off any residue and wax it with your favorite wax.

[Chester]

Swirl marks can also come from those automatic car washes as well....i would clay bar the crap out of your car and then wax it and buff it out with an orbital buffer/ polisher

[xyankees214x]

let me take a guess.... do you have a black balt? If so black cars never come clean, ever. Get a red car